Captain Dale Dye – Hollywood’s Secret Weapon

Military Adviser, Captain Dale Dye (Platoon, Band of Brothers and The Pacific) talks movies and the raid on Osama Bin Laden.

If you’ve seen a military based movie over the last 10 years, you’ve mostly likely seen either Captain Dale Dye or some of the actors his company, Warriors, Inc., have trained to look realistic in their occupation G.I. blues.

The Vietnam combat veteran and oft-decorated Marine is known in Hollywood as a top military advisor, while Warriors, Inc. specializes in preparing Hollywood stars for the rigors of realistic on-screen military action.

As an advisor on procedure, strategy and terminology, Dye has offered his expertise to HBO’s Band of Brothers and The Pacific, Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan and the Medal of Honor video game series. As an on-screen star, he’s appeared in Outbreak, Under Siege, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers and Starship Troopers.

But, Dye might be most recognized for his part in the 1986, Oscar-winning movie, Platoon. He was lead technical advisor on the movie and played Captain Harris. With Oliver Stone’s primary masterpiece now arriving on Blu-Ray in a new special edition, Dye gave marching orders to CraveOnline on how to take in his career, his mission and the precision takedown of Osama Bin Laden.

CraveOnline: Since your sources must know you speak to the media and advise on movies, are they ever uncomfortable talking to you about real world military actions from the field?

Captain Dale Dye: My sources are very comfortable with me because they know I understand operational security. They know I’ve been there. I’ve done it. They’re talking to a kindred spirit. And they’re very anxious in movies and television that what they do and how they do it is told appropriately. They trust me to get it right.

CraveOnline: Obviously, military procedure is very much on people’s minds right now because of the dramatic and successful raid on Osama Bin Laden. What’s your take on the fact that media outlets and the public seem obsessed with knowing every detail on what happened – in a way that would’ve been unheard of for an intelligence operation form the past?

Captain Dale Dye: That bothers me quite a bit. There’s no need for anyone to know those details as it amounts to fighting an intelligence war in public – operating clandestine missions in public. That gives the enemy an advantage It gives the bad guy a chance to read in public media what we do and how we do it. They’ll take precautions against it. It’s foolish. I’m not in the business of giving the bad guys an advantage.

CraveOnline: How do you know where to draw that line?

Captain Dale Dye: I use my judgment. If I think something I say might be good to know by the bad guy, I don’t say it.

CraveOnline: In the wake of the successful attack on Osama Bin Laden, we saw some younger American dancing in the streets and celebrating his death. What was your take on that?

Captain Dale Dye: They have a right to respond and celebrate as they see fit. I think it’s safe to say few of them have ever seen combat or faced a similar situation to the brave men who completed the [Bin Laden] mission. But, the men who did it did a great job, and how they did it should be kept under wraps.

CraveOnline: How do you think the men who pulled off the raid would react to that celebration?

Captain Dale Dye: The men who raided Bin Laden’s compound and killed him were professionals. We may never know who they were, and we’ll never know what they think of Americans’ reaction to their work. But, I think I can guarantee you they were not dancing in the streets. I’m sure they are proud of the work they did and how it was carried out, but their reaction would be very different than what we saw [from civilians].